best grease for driveshaft u-joint.

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Gents and Ladies, I'm replacing the u-joints in my 1990 volvo for what looks like the first time. It's got around 230k on it so I guess it's time. Anyways I would like to know what the best grease is to use for them. Thanks in advance.
 
Kendall L-427 Super Blu-Grease

http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/part_group.jsp?PHPRJ_GROUP_ID=1377

kendall-252-7867-400.jpg
 
The first piece of advice I would offer is to look at what grease, or what spec the particular u-joint mfg recommends. In general, though, I would be comfortable with any lb/cg nlgi2 grease if you are going to maintain them regularly. I habe Synpower in my grease gun, which is good so far but I bet there are better options too.
 
The best?... Kluberplex BEM 34-132.

Product information:

"Kluberplex BEM 34-132 has the following characteristics:
– excellent wear protection
– good resistance to temperatures up to 140 °C
– excellent resistance to water and ambient media
– good corrosion protection
particularly good effect against micro motion
– excellent resistance to ageing.

Kluberplex BEM 34-132 is a special grease for many applications where extreme demands have to be met. It is particularly suitable for long-term and lifetime lubrication."

It's a calcium-based grease designed for metal parts under load that see little motion (vibratory motion). It's rated life at elevated temperatures is 2400 hours (roughly 120K miles at 50 mph).

BEM 34-132 is Grade 1.5, not Grade 2. Though counter-intuitive, the idea is to use a light grease with parts that experience micromotion. Heavy greases are pushed aside by the rollers during use. A lighter grease will more easily reflow under the roller where lubrication is needed.
 
A quality u-joint isn't sensitive to what grease you use, so long as you don't mix greases improperly.

Get your grease gun out and use whatever lithium base grease is inside your gun.

I use Valvoline Durablend because it meets Ford specs, and it meets specs for all other cars.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
A quality u-joint isn't sensitive to what grease you use, so long as you don't mix greases improperly.

Get your grease gun out and use whatever lithium base grease is inside your gun.

I use Valvoline Durablend because it meets Ford specs, and it meets specs for all other cars.


AAA 1 +
 
So, the general consensus is that the Amsoil Off Road Polymeric grease w/5% moly (their very thick, black stuff) is NOT a good choice for u joints (despite it's 'anti-pound out', and vibration killing qualities)???
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I've been using Mystik JT-6 for almost a year now in my class 8 truck and It's fantastic grease. It does great in heavy duty use and tough conditions. Just my two cents.
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
So, the general consensus is that the Amsoil Off Road Polymeric grease w/5% moly (their very thick, black stuff) is NOT a good choice for u joints (despite it's 'anti-pound out', and vibration killing qualities)???
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The place that builds and balances drive shafts told me to use the lightest GL2 lithium based synthetic grease with no moly.
I said i have Mobil 1 and the comment was "thats what we use", good enough for me. Drive shafts are their only business and have been doing it since the 1930's.
I haven't used a zerk U Joint in years in a car, waste of time. Now i just use the lubed for life.

They can go 150-200K+ in the salt belt so why go through the trouble of greasing them, ditto ball joints and tie rod ends. Off road and larger trucks are a different story.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
I haven't used a zerk U Joint in years in a car, waste of time. Now i just use the lubed for life.

They can go 150-200K+ in the salt belt so why go through the trouble of greasing them, ditto ball joints and tie rod ends. Off road and larger trucks are a different story.


So if one has a u joint with that little (not a zerk) grease fitting, does this guidance change?
 
No not at all, same deal its just a different style fitting.
The way i understand it from professionals who work with this stuff daily is the greasable are inherently somewhat weaker because they are hollow (makes sense right) and the seal is not as tight.
It has to allow grease to escape when being being greased so the the seal doesn't blow, this little feature allows more contamination and moisture in.

I am sure if you kept up on the greasing of the joints they would certainly last as long but other than BITOG folks how many people actually even look for them never mind take a gun to them.
Miss it a few times and the wear is increasing.

It took me a long time to drop the old school ways of grease joints be it U joints or ball joints, etc.
When you start seeing non greasable joints going 20+ years and high miles in the salt belt no less, common sense tells me they cant be bad.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
The way I understand it from professionals who work with this stuff daily is the greasable are inherently somewhat weaker because they are hollow (makes sense right) and the seal is not as tight.
It has to allow grease to escape when being being greased so the the seal doesn't blow, this little feature allows more contamination and moisture in.


NO DOUBT they are stronger, as most specialty driveshaft shops/companies will not even build you a shaft with greasable u-joints for racing, especially high HP/torque, drag racing applications.

When it comes time for me to replace these, or the whole driveshaft, I WILL go with the closed/sealed u-joints.
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The moly problem i read is that because molybdenum is such a good lubricant when it gets in the u joint it does not allow the needle bearings to roll and instead they slide and make grooves and wear flat spots. A good non moly grease allows more friction so the u joint can work as expected. I would suspect spicer u joint grease would be excellent for u joints.
 
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